Fishing tactics and strategies in coastal demersal trawling fisheries in Senegal

Abstract

Using catch composition data collected on individual fishing trips between 1990 and 2001, we study fishing tactics and strategies of the coastal demersal trawlers operating in Senegal. Types of fishing actions (tactics) are defined through catch composition on fourteen stocks. Types of fishing units (strategies) are defined according to the tactics they can use. These two typologies are built using the K Means method, a non hierarchical classification approach. As results, twelve tactics and six strategies are primarily identified. Using expert knowledge some fishing tactics are gathered and eight tactics and five strategies are finally considered and discussed with a presentation of the articulations between stocks, tactics and strategies. © EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2007.